WEBVTT
WDSU REPORTER KELSEY DAVIS
EXPLAINS WHY SOME SUPPORT THE
IDEA AND OTHERS DON'T.
REPORTER: THEY STORMED DO
CARROLLTON AVENUE AT DAWN AND
RIGHT INTO AN UPTOWN RESTAURANT,
AS THEY CONTINUE TO DEMAND
CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO MINIMUM
WAGES IN OUR CITY, STATE AND
NATION.
>> WE HAVE NO STATE MINIMUM
WAGE.
MOST PEOPLE ARE PAID THE FEDERAL
MINIMUM WAGE AND $15 AN HOUR TO
WHAT FOLKS ARE ASKING FOR,
THAT'S STILL ONLY GET TO $31,000
A YEAR.
REPORTER: BUT THOSE WHO WORK IN
THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY FULL TIME
TELL US THEY AREN'T MAKING
ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THAT.
AND WHAT THEY ARE BEING PAID, IS
NOT ENOUGH TO LIVE ON.
>> I HAVE A CHILD TO FEED AND WE
ARE PAID $7.25 IN OUR.
-- AN HOUR.
>> YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR A CAR AND
ALL BILLS AND YOU NEVER HAVE
ANYTHING LEFT.
REPORTER: THE FIGHT HAS BEEN
GOING ON FOR YEARS, BUT IN THE
PAST 4 YEARS, THE CAMPAIGN HAS
BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN NEW YOR
CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON DC.
THIS YEAR, THERE WERE MOVES MADE
TO INCREASE THE MINIMUM WAGE ON
BOTH THE CITY AND STATE LEVELS
IN LOUISIANA, BUT SO FAR NOTHING
HAS CHANGED.
AND WHILE SOME HAVE CONCERNS
ABOUT WHAT A WAGE HIKE COULD
MEAN.
>> IT WILL HURT THE WORKERS,
BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT HIRE AS
MANY PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WILL BE
LAID OFF.
BUSINESSES CANNOT AFFORD IT.
REPORTER: INSTEAD OF $15 AN
HOURS, THOSE WHO WORK CLOSELY
WITH LOW-INCOME WORKERS SAY AN
INCREASE TO THE FEDERAL MINIMUM
WAGE THAT MIRRORS THE COST OF
LIVING WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO
EVERYONE.
>> WE WOULD NOT HAVING THIS
FIGHT, BECAUSE EVERY TIME THE
COST O LIVING GOES UP, THE WAGE
WOULD GO UP.
IT WOULD KEEP A BALANCE FOR
EMPLOYERS, BECAUSE THEY WOULD

At least 26 people were arrested in New York as part of a nationwide minimum wage protest. Most of Tuesday's arrests were for blocking traffic. The majority of the protests were peaceful.

In New Orleans, protesters stormed down Carrollton Avenue at dawn and right into a McDonald’s restaurant as they continue to demand change when it comes to minimum wages in the city, state and nation.

“We have no state minimum wage in Louisiana, but most people are paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25. Even $15 an hour, what folks are asking for, still gets you to only $31,000 a year,” said Erika Zucker, with Workplace Justice Project at the Loyola Law Center.

People who work in the fast food industry, full-time, said they aren't making anywhere close to that. They said what they are being paid is not enough to live on.

“I have a child to feed, and we're only getting paid $7.25 at McDonald's. It's hard out here and everything is high,” Sherita Young said.

“You try to save money, but you can't really because you got to worry about a house, a car. (With) your car, you have to have insurance, your phone bills. And after all that's done, you really don't have anything left,” Reylyn Palmisano said.

The fight to get minimum wage up to $15 per hour has been a long one. But in the past four years, the campaign has been successful in New York, California and Washington, D.C. There were moves made this year to increase the minimum wage on both the city and state levels in Louisiana. So far nothing has changed.

Some have concerns about what a wage hike would mean.

“It's going to hurt the workers that it's meant to help. They're not going to hire as many people, that people are going to get laid off, that businesses can't afford it,” said Zucker about what she hears, especially from small business owners about why the wage hike could cause problems.

Instead of $15 per hour, Zucker said an increase to the federal minimum wage that mirrors the cost of living would be beneficial to everyone.

“We wouldn't be having this fight because every time the cost of living went up and expenses went up, the wage would go up a little bit and would also give a balance to employers, too, because they would have an expectation that wages are going to go up,” Zucker said.

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